Team Parkes PSC 2011

Introduction Team Parkes folded the experiences and information imparted by PSC instructors, scientists, and mentors to establish a method of attacking the data most efficiently and to answer the question, “Is it a pulsar or is it Memorex?” Team Parkes’ members determined the most effective approach to analyze data sets. During this initial phase of the data analysis process, team members rated plots. When a plot scored two or higher, the entire team was assembled for input. Team Parkes studied the interesting plots making a final determination. Team members shared data sets to speed the process. Of all the data sets analyzed, five plots were flagged as worthy of further investigation.

Divide and Conquer Dunc’s Rule of Thumb reduced x2 < 1 bad The Man, the Myth, the Legend… Every team member used Duncan’s Pulsar technique (or some form of it) Dunc’s Rule of Thumb reduced x2 < 1 bad reduced x2 < 2 (≈ pulsar/RFI) reduced x2 > 3 (pulsar/RFI) Image taken from : http://physics.wvu.edu/people/duncan_lorimer Duncan Lorimer

“Recipe” for Pulsars Time Domain Plot: Are there average pulses? 2. Integrated Pulse Profile: Do the pulses match the Time Domain Plot? 3. Sub-band Plot: Vertical or Horizontal line? (Vertical = possible pulsar, Horizontal = RFI) 4. DM curve: look for a peak > 0 5. Reduced x2 and Period Reduced x^2 greater than 1 Make sure not a harmonic. Image taken from: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MadScientist

1. RA/Dec: 1854-0649 Was listed in 350 drift scan survey but not ANTF catalog = known pulsar

2. RA/Dec: 1947-1314 Unknown in either catalog, possible pulsar at this point pending conformation scan conducted last night DM 62ish, Signal – Noise 12, 5 good circles on time-dm graph

3. RA/Dec: 0049-0622 Unknown in either catalog, possible pulsar candidate, needs follow up due to GBT malfunction, DM – 4.126, period - .97649696 ms, X^2 – 8.962, vertical bands at 0.6 and 1.6 in phase domain and corresponding banding in sub-band plot. Unknown in either catalog, possible pulsar candidate, needs follow up due to GBT malfunction, DM – 4.126, period - .97649696 ms, X^2 – 8.962, vertical bands at 0.6 and 1.6 in phase domain and corresponding banding in sub-band plot

4. RA/Dec: 0123-0622 (P = 0.97649487 ms) Unknown in either catalog, possible pulsar candidate, needs follow up due to continuing GBT malfunction, DM – 1.547, period .97649487 ms, X^2 – 4.939 vertical bands at 0.25 and 1.25 and corresponding banding in sub-band plot

5. RA/Dec: 0123-0622 (P =1.83759364 ms) Unknown in either catalog, interesting plot related to previous example, needs follow up due to extended continuation of GBT malfunction, DM – 29.065, period – 1.83759364, X^2 – 2.242

Data Distribution Judy 30 3 87 120 David 15 53 68 Bonnie 17 51 Rick 10 Member RFI Candidates Das Poop Total data sets Judy 30 3 87 120 David 15 53 68 Bonnie 17 51 Rick 10 2 90 102 Lee Ann 12 5 52 69 Total 84 333 427

Top Right – Vertical band at DM of 22, 25, 42, and 45 Top left – error bar larger than amplitude of peaks, DM – 759, X^2 0.179 Top Right – Vertical band at DM of 22, 25, 42, and 45 Bottom Left – diagonal banding in sub-band plot, period of 33.35 = harmonic of 16.6 Bottom Right – missing bins in phase-time diagram, DM 128.7, numerous horizontal bands in sub-band plot Pictures taken from Google images

undetermined versus data Images from: http://www.purplecrying.info/userfiles/image/Baby%20in%20Crib.jpg and http://citydesk.freedomblogging.com/files/2011/02/grandpa-munster.jpg

Discussion Points Certain Uncertain Sift through “stuff” to get to a possible candidate GBT malfunctioned GBT was working some of the time Good potential candidates Ton of noise Uncertain If any of our candidates are pulsars Data would have been gathered When malfunction began during our scan Confirmation Causes other than RFI?

Questions do you have…hmmm? Are the plots that we didn’t get to run pulsars? Will they/when will they be followed up? If so, we will be notified. In the future, time permitting, we would run all of our candidates. Image taken from: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lN5WbxBz-w/TbImvNzYwDI/AAAAAAAAABQ/VgtE1zXvj4c/s1600/25917_yoda%255B1%255D.jpg

Parkes…. the team that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs Taken from: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3IjRgoGWUBo/TA14j1902WI/AAAAAAAAAl0/qaoCn-MRiCE/s1600/never-tell-me-the-odds-demotivator.jpg